Timberwoof-s BMW R1100GS Page

1985 R80GS PD . February, 1997 at San Jose BMW This was the first Bimmer I ever rode. A big bike compared to my trusty CB-1, I sat tall in the saddle. Despite its size, the bike inspired confidence. I liked it, but it was very tall and tippy to maneuver in the parking lot.

I didn-t want to spend $5k on it.

1997 R1100RT . October, 1997 at Cal BMW in Mountain View This one had the Paralever and Telelever suspension. Its handling was quite competent. I just loved the way it stopped: No fork dive at all. The bike just stops. Driving this is like driving a big Lexus.

It was comfy, but not really what I wanted.

1997 R1100R . January, 1998 at San Francisco BMW. An all-around nice bike: competent and confidence-inspiring. I fell in love with the Telelever front again, and its authoritative horn.

If it were a car it would be a Civic or a two-door Accord.

1997 R1100GS . January, 1998 at San Francisco BMW. I was a bit hesitant about trying this bike because of my experience on the -85 GS, but this new model has a much lower seat. It has a nice wide handlebar and a comfortable upright seating position. Around corners it felt more competent than my sporty little CB-1.

This is a ForeRunner on two wheels. Riding the GS was a mistake. Now I want one.

I-ve been surfing the web, looking for pages about the R1100GS. This guy broke the frame on his GS in Australia.

1997 F650 . February, 1998 at San Francisco BMW. I hated it.

1997 R1100RS . February, 1998 at San Francisco BMW. I fell in love with this bike right away. It-s strong and confident. I rode it around some curvy roads near where I live. Because it wasn-t my bike, but a dealership-s expensive new bike, I decided to take it easy and not push it.

I looked at the speedo and found myself doing 5MPH faster on that road than I do on my CB-1 when I-m riding harder. Thus the R1100RS is either a safer bike or a more dangerous one; I haven-t figured out which. If this were a car, it would be an Acura Integra or a 318i. (Okay, the R1200C is the open sportster and the k1200RS is any of the M cars.)

1997 R1100RS, R1100GS; 1989 CB-1 . March, 1998 at Cal BMW. Back-to-back I rode an RS, a GS, and my CB-1 on the same route around Cal BMW in Mountain View. The RS seemed stiff while the GS was softer but with an engine stronger in the low RPMs.

The RS handled better. I had been wavering between the RS and the GS, but this back-to-back comparison convinced me that the GS was the right bike to get. When I got back on my CB-1, my backache returned right away.

1998 R1100GS . May, 1998: Purhased! I traded my CB-1 in on a brand new 1998 R1100GS. Just a month later I brought the bike to the dealer for the 600-mile inspection and got an F650 as a loaner bike.

I-m glad I didn-t buy one of those. The F650 is a well-built, sturdy motorcycle. The first time I rode one it seemed big and clunky compared to my CB-1.